Page 99 of My Eternal Light

Ryuu was blazing with a bright blue light. “Abraxas, you dare keep her from me?”

Abraxas ignored him. “To add a non-fae to the tree, it would be very painful for you Meryn, are you sure you want to proceed?”

She nodded. “Yup.”

Abraxas stared. “Do you understand, the pain will be very intense.”

She became thoughtful. “Will it hurt my jellerbean?”

He shook his head. “I would not allow that.”

“Cool then.”

He stared. “Meryn, I do not think you…”

Jaxon rolled forward. “Meryn, don’t. Nothing is worth you being in pain.”

Nigel and Neil pressed closer. “Yeah, we have the paper, you don’t have to get hurt,” Neil said.

She smiled. “The pain to add you to our tree is nothing compared to the pain I lived without family.”

Kincaid watched as Ryuu, Aiden and Brennus began to come unglued.

“Abraxas!” Ryuu shouted. “She experiences a single moment of pain and you and I will have problems.”

Abraxas turned to the boys. “Would you take the pain for her?”

“Of course.” The boys chorused.

Abraxas turned to face Ryuu. “Quiet.”

Meryn spun and saw her loved ones panicking. “I’m okay. This is my choice. We’re stronger than you think.”

“Is this one Meryn?” Pip asked, looking at the branches. “It has a bud!”

Noah hurried forward. “I wanna see.”

Nigel and Neil looked from the other side. “Meryn are these your parents?”

Meryn nodded, looking somber. “The branches petrify when they die.”

Pip turned to Abraxas. “I just need to bleed near Meryn, right?”

Abraxas went to answer, but Pip was already moving. Using the petrified branches of Meryn’s parents, he stabbed himself through the hand. The wood skewered his pale flesh turning the entire scene macabre.

Without changing expression, he pulled his hand off the branch. Beaming he watched his blood drip onto Meryn’s branch. “There.”

Abraxas’ mouth dropped open, shocked into silence.

Nigel and Neil shrugged. Taking turns, they did the same.

Kincaid watched as surprisingly Noah was calm about the whole thing. He winced when removing his hand, but like Pip, he was smiling after it was done.

After Jaxon went, they all looked at Abraxas.

“Now, what?” Pip asked.

“Now what? You were never supposed to get hurt!” Abraxas yelled. He frantically moved his hands around them as if he were trying to heal them. “It was a simple test to ensure you were committed! You weren’t supposed to stab yourselves!”